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Tuesday, 16 August 2011

Capt Jerry COGGIO

It was a great day to fly, a big sun in a blue sky out of sight. I hadthree passengers with me on leaving for an appointment. I lookMETARs, TAFs, etc.. CAVOK anounce to come I look at thoseairports on my way to see the time I was getting and they announced a blanket OVC.
I was planning a flight at FL115 on the top two-thirds of the flight.
I go to the premises with my pax I make a pre-flight as usualOutdoor / Indoor. Everything is fine no problem. I'll get your fill of100LL to 9:00. I install the pax, I explain the safety and makes them a briefing before takeoff.
I contact the tower they give me the clearence and off we went.Take-off at 9:47 we leave the tower through a TMA is then an SIVand finally I contact the FIR to 10:10 I put the A / P. My GPSANNOUNCED 2:55 between the start and finish I was in FullAVGAS.
After 40 minutes of flight I contact a second FIR I continue without any problems. At 45 minutes before arrival I ask MTO conditionsat the airport arrival and release.
It is from this point that the problems have accumulated.
The alternate airport has a ceiling 1000ft OVC and the destination airport BKN same ceiling but then I thought thatSpecial VFR more with GPS there would be no problem.

In trying to do too much I want more conditions MTO 20 minutes prior to arrival and there I am told that the finish is still BKN. So I continue and my GPS fails. I went down again and again and I still saw no holes.
The FIR was asking me to contact a SIV. I contacted the SIV and ask him a QDM to the airport of arrival. It gives me and I take it.And suddenly I see a hole I could see the ground so I went downinto it. I made circles and lost about 3000ft. The SIV told me tocontact the CTR.
I contact the CTR and request a Special VFR I grant it and suddenly a curtain of rain I could not see anything more than 1 km.
I signal to the tower and it takes me to a GCA approach.
There was turbulence as I had ever seen. Once allignment and near the landing I could not see anything, my paxs not suspect anything he just knew that the GPS was not working. I certainly did not want to create an atmosphere of panic.
My Alti set to QFE telling me 500ft, 400ft, 300ft I still could not see the track and the controller told me 3 ° left, 2 right then I corrected all the time and my Alti showed 250ft, 200ft, 150ft I still saw not the track. The tower told me you are above the threshold.100ft and I saw the runway light up at once.
I had my three attérire pax.